Car-coupling



(No Model.) v I '2 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. S. ELLIOTT.

GAR COUPLING. No. 537,144. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

IL T4.

ww BY W ATTORNEY (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G; S. ELLIOTT.-

GAB COUPLING. I No. 537,144. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

N KENTO ATTORNEY TogaZZ whom it may concern:

is shown in place.

' UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcs.

CHARLES SAMUEL ELLIOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR=COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,144, dated April 9, 1895.

Application filed May 15, 1894. Serial No. 511,387- (NomOdeL) Be it known that I, CHARLES SAMUEL EL- LIOTT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplers; and the same consists of the construction hereinafter described and claimed,

- all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is an underneath view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line zz, Fig. 4:. Fig. 4 is an end view of a car showing my improved coupler applied. Fig. 5 is a section taken through the parts connected by the pin, which Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lower lug of the drawhead. Fig. 7 is a side view of the same. Fig. 8 is an underneath view of the knuckle. Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line w-w, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line :r-x, Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a detail view of the pin, partly broken away in the middle. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the movable locking collar or tumblenj Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 14; is a section taken on the line yy, Fig; 13, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Similar reference characters indicating corresponding parts or elements of the mechanism in the several views, let the numeral 5 v designate the drawhead provided with the apertured lugs 5 and5. The knuckle 6 is located between these lugs, and is also apertured to receive the pin 7 which enters the apertures of both the lugs and knuckle. This pin retains the knuckle in operative relation with the other parts. The unlocking of, the

knuckle is also accomplished through the instrumentality of this pin, whichhas a vertical movement within certain limits. To this end, the pin is provided with a tongue 7 located near its lower extremity and adapted to enter a triangular recess 6 formed in the knuckle to one sideof its aperture 6. As the tongue of the pin enters this recess, it ongages the inclined face or .wall 6 of the recess and raises the knuckle sufficiently to unlock the same. As the knuckle is raised by this engagement of the pin, it is also thrown outward to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The outward, as well as the upward movement, results from the engagement of the tongue of the pin with the in clined face 6. When in the locked posi' tion, the knuckle is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. In this case, the tongue 6 of the knuckle is located behind a lug 5 which projects above the bottom 5 of the drawhead opening. The rear face of the kn uckle-tongue projects into a notch 5 formed in the drawhead opposite the lug 5 whereby the tongue .is embraced by the lug on one side and the walls of the notch on the other side. By means of this construction the knuckle is securely held in place against outward'movement. The knuckle, when in this position is further locked by a projection 5 formed integral with the lug 5 of the drawhead, and engaging a recess 6 formed in the knuckle.

When the knuckle is in the unlocked position, the projection 5 engages a recess 6 also formed in the knuckle. One face of this projection is inclined as shown at 5 to engage a corresponding or counterpart oppositely inclined wall (i of the recess 6 whereby as the knuckle is moved inward toward the locked position, the two inclined faces engage and cause the knuckle to rise: The exterior face of the lug 5 of the drawhead is also inclined whereby the tongue of the knuckle, as it moves inward, engages said face and co-operates with the projection 5 in raising the knuckle sufficiently to pass over the lug 5, after which,the knuckle falls by gravity and the tongue 6 drops, behind the lug 5, and the knuckle is locked.

The upper lug 5 of the drawhead is interiorly recessed as shown at 5 to receive a tumbler 8 having a tongue 8 adapted to enter a counterpart groove 5 formed outside of the recess proper.

ICC

When the knuckleis in the locked position (see Fig. 5) the tumbler falls by gravity, completely out of the recess 5" and rests on the knuckle.

The pin 7 is provided with an inclined tongue 7 which projects from the body of the pin and enters an interior counterpart groove 8 formed in the tumbler. When the knuckle is in the locked position, the tongue 8 of the tumbler is out of line with the groove 5", whereby the knuckle cannot be raised until the tumbler is turned to such a position that its tongue 8 will enter the groove 5 of the drawhead. This is accomplished by the tongue 7 of the pin, which tongue occupies the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, when the knuckle islocked. Inthiscase, the tongue of the pin projects a short distance into the groove of the tumbler. Now, by raising the pin to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the tongue 7 gives the tumbler a partial rotation, and thus throws the tongue 8 directly below, or in line with the groove 5.

The parts of the mechanism are so arranged relatively to each other that as soon as the tumbler has been adjusted as described, the lug 7 immediately engages the inclined face 6 of the knuckle, and the upward movement of the pin being continued, the knuckle is simultaneously raised and thrown outward. As the knuckle passes upward, the tumbler is carried therewith into the recess 5'. When the knuckle has reached its outward limit of movement it again falls to the same plane it occupies when in the locked position, and the tumbler passes downward therewith out of the recess 5, its tongue 8 being again disengaged from the groove 5", whereby the knuckle is allowed to move freely to the locked position when suitable pressure is applied from the outside. As the knuckle passes inward, it is again raised as heretofore described, and the tumbler is again carried upward into the recess 5". When the knuckle has reached its inward limit of movement, it again falls to the locked position. The tumbler follows the knuckle and moves downward by gravity out of the groove 5. The pin then falls to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5; and during this movement, it gives the tumbler 8 a partial rotation by reason of the engagement of the tongue 7 with the groove 8. This partial rotation of the tumbler throws its tongue 8 again out of line with the groove 5, whereby the knuckle can only be raised and unlocked by the movement of the pin. The pin 7 is inserted from underneath the drawhead, and the knuckle is provided with a groove 6 to allow the tongue 7 of the pin to pass. When the pin is at its upward limit of movement, this tongue 7 is located partly in the groove 6 and partly in the groove 8.

When the knuckle is unlocked, the tongue 7 of the pin is out of line with the groove 6 of the knuckle. Hence, though the tumbler isallowed to fall with the knuckle, the pin is held upward by reason of the engagement of its tongue '7 with the shoulder of the knuckle, and the tumbler is not turned to throw its tongue 8 out of line with the groove 5. The tumbler is therefore, ready, when the knuckle is unlocked, to pass upward into the recess 5 as soon as the knuckle is forced inward by the engagement of the opposite drawhead.

The pin 7 is manipulated for the purpose of unlocking the knuckle, through the instrumentality of a rod 9 which is provided with a hook 9 at one extremity, said hook engaging an eye 7 formed on the lower extremity of the pin. This rod projects outward through an apertured hanger 10 attachedto the end of the car underneath, and terminates in a crank arm 9 located within reach of the trainman from the outside of the car. By grasping this crank and giving the rod a partial turn, the pin is given the necessary upward movement to manipulate the knuckle as heretofore stated.

The rod 9, when adjusted for the purpose of unlocking the knuckle, may be held in this position, whereby the knuckle is locked in the uncoupled position, by any suitable means.

It must be observed that the construction of the parts is such that there is no strain on the connecting pin, the latter being loose in the drawhead and knuckle when the cars are coupled. This feature is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the apertures through which the pin passes being shown slightly elongated, whereby the pin is free from engagement in front when the knuckle is in the locked position.

As shown in the drawings, the rod 9 is allowed a longitudinal movement within the pin and the hanger, whereby as the rod is moved inward, after actuating the pin 7, the crank 9 engages a projection 1O on the hanger 10, whereby the crank is supported, and the knuckle held in the unlocked position until it is again desired to couple, when the rod is moved outward sufliciently to disengage the crank from the projection on the hanger, leaving the knuckle free to move inward to the locked position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a car coupler, the combination of the drawhead, the knuckle, the tumbler and the connecting pin, said parts being constructed, arranged and connected, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car coupler, the combination with the drawhead of the knuckle and the vertical connecting pin, the pin and the knuckle being connected by means of a tongue on one part engaging a recess formed in the other part, the tongue or the groove having an inclined face, whereby the movement of the pin in the direction of its length, when the knuckle is locked, throws the latter upward and outward to the unlocked position, substantially as described.

3. In a car coupler, the combination with the drawhead, the knuckle, the vertical pin connecting the knuckle with the drawhead and passing through coinciding apertures formed in the connected parts, the drawhead being recessed to receive the tongue of the knuckle and lock the latter in place, the grooved tumbler engaging the pin and provided withatongue adapted to enteragroove formed in the drawhead, the pin being provided with a tongue adapted to enter the groove formed in the tumbler, substantially as described.

4. In a car coupler, the combination with the drawhead of the knuckle, the connecting pin and the tumbler, the latter being located above the knuckle and between the latter and the drawhead when the knuckle is locked, the tumbler being grooved to receive a tongue on the pin, whereby as the pin is moved upward the tumbler is given a partial rotation, and an exterior tongue formed thereon, brought into line with a groove formed in the drawhead above, said groove being normally (that is, when the knuckle is locked), out of line with the tongue on the tumbler, whereby the knuckle can only be unlocked by shifting the tumbler,- substantially as described.

5. In a car coupler, the combination with the drawhead and knuckle of the connecting pin and the tumbler, the latter being interiorly grooved and exteriorly tongued, the pin being provided with a tongue adapted to engage the groove of the tumbler and shift the latter so that its tongue shall be brought into line with a groove in the draw-head, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a car coupler, the combination with the drawhead and knuckle of the connecting pin and tumbler, the latter normally holding the knuckle in the locked position the tumbler and pin having a tongue and groove connection,whereby the movement of the pin in the direction of its length gives the tumbler a partial rotation, as and for the purpose set forth. 7

7. In a car coupler, the combination of the drawhead, the knuckle, the tumbler, the vertically movable connecting pin, and means for actuating the pin and unlocking the knuckle, said means consisting of a rod or bar attached to the pin and extending outward to such a position that the pin may be actuated by manipulating the rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SAMUEL ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

OTTO STAKE, WILLIAM F. WHITE. 

